Article published September 18, 2008
Work seekers crowd job fair in Maumee; hard economy pushes 1,000 to ‘50+’ event
At the head of the line, Sandra Adams, of Point Place, talks to St. Luke’s recruiter Sharon Dachenhaus.
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THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT
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By GARY T. PAKULSKI
BLADE BUSINESS WRITER
As the economy tightened, Mark Presnar had trouble meeting sales quotas at the restaurant supply house that employed him.
Two weeks ago, he was fired.
“People aren’t eating out anymore,” said Mr. Presnar, whose sales territory included rural areas of northwest Ohio that are struggling more than other parts of the region.
The 57-year-old Bryan man was among about 1,000 people who flocked to the Northwest Ohio 50+ Job Fair yesterday.
Held at the Lucas County Recreation Center in Maumee, the one-day event was organized by Experience Works Inc., a non-profit group that specializes in finding jobs for people over 50 years old.
Some job-seekers were retirees hunting for part-time work to keep busy and earn extra money for travel and other indulgences.
But many others were retirees and laid off people acting out of necessity.
“With increases in gas prices, commodity costs, and housing, they don’t have enough to make ends meet,” explained Kent Kahn, business and community liaison for Experience Works.
Attendance at the job fair topped last year when 900 people showed up. By 11 a.m., organizers had to send out for more registration forms.
Thirty-two employers and other organizations rented booths, which was two more than last year. The total included a number of colleges looking for students and employment agencies seeking people for temporary posts.
Gloria Walters, left, of Experience Works, advises Inez Warren of Toledo.
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THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT
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At the St. Luke’s Hospital booth in late morning, 18 people stood in line for job applications. But there were no takers for volunteer positions.
“I need to work,” said Linda Black, a 61-year-old medical billing specialist laid off from a physician’s practice this year.
Full-time jobs with medical insurance are hard to come by, she said. She is far from desperate, but has trimmed spending rather than tap into savings set aside for retirement, Ms. Black said.
Orchard Villa nursing home in Oregon received more than 100 applications.
“This has been amazing,” said Peggy Wammes, a nurse at the facility who works in staff development. She was surprised by the number of people who expressed interest in “anything” available.
She attributes that to the economy. She noted that many applicants, apparently concerned about gas prices, were eager to find jobs close to their homes.
Inez Warren, 71, has been retired since 1993. But she said she is thinking about returning to the workforce to supplement social security and pension income.
Gary Schulz, 59, lost his job at a Toledo food processing plant two years ago. With a pension and retirement savings account, he knows he is doing better than many retirees. “But with the economy being what it is, I want to get back to doing something,” he said.
Laid off from a Toledo dental lab last week, Robin Hathaway, 54, is optimistic about finding work. She hasn’t considered retiring. “I’m not old enough and don’t have enough security,” she said.
“Times are tough,” added Brent Yeupell, 50, who unsuccessfully looked for a job in small-engine repair.
“I will take anything I can get with the way the economy is,” he said. “I don’t want to leave my house.”
Contact Gary Pakulski at: gpakulski@theblade.com or 419-724-6082.
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